TV Shows Apparent U.S. Prisoner in Iraq: "TV footage on Saturday showed Iraqi insurgents holding a foreigner, apparently American, prisoner in a car, the latest in a rash of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq. (AP)"

US general calls for ceasefire: "A US general has called on Sunni militants in Fallujah to join in a ceasefire to allow further negotiations between Iraqi leaders and representatives of the besieged city."

U.S. Seeks Truce With Fallujah Militants: "A U.S. general called on Sunni militants in Fallujah on Saturday to join a bilateral cease-fire. Insurgents struck U.S troops in Baghdad and central Iraq, setting a tank on fire in the capital and engaging in battles that killed 40 Iraqis, a U.S. spokesman said. (AP)"

Iraq Creates Quandary for Kerry: "WASHINGTON - Escalating violence in Iraq provides John F. Kerry a new opportunity to press his central foreign policy critique of President Bush, but also forces the Democratic challenger to move cautiously in making his case. (Los Angeles Times)"

U.S. Losing Support of Key Iraqis: "BAGHDAD - Tough U.S. tactics in Fallouja and Shiite Muslim cities of southern Iraq are driving a wedge between the Americans and their key supporter - the 25-member Governing Council that puts an Iraqi face on the occupation and is expected to serve as the basis of a new government. (Los Angeles Times)"

Italy's Berlusconi Visits Troops in Iraq: "Premier Silvio Berlusconi made an unannounced visit to Iraq early Saturday to meet with Italian troops based in the southern city of Nasiriyah, his office said. (AP)"

Army Tries New Moves With Iraqi Populace: "Col. Dana J.H. Pittard kneels by the hospital bed of 7-year-old Ali Fakhri, who sobs from the pain of shrapnel wounds that pepper his bloodied face and body. (AP)"

Million Shi'ite Pilgrims Gather Amid Iraq Clashes: "Up to a million Muslim pilgrimsmassed in the Iraqi Shi'ite holy city of Kerbala on Saturday asradical Shi'ite fighters and Polish troops exchanged rocket andmortar fire on the outskirts. (Reuters)"

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Friday Thailand was reconsidering its military deployment to Iraq and would order the troops home if it remained too dangerous to carry out their humanitarian mission. " The Thai military will remain in Iraq as long as they can carry out their humanitarian mission, but if they cannot then they will return ," Thaksin told reporters. A contingent of 451 troops including engineers, medics and a surveillance platoon was sent to the central city of Karbala last September, as Thailand joined the US -led coalition after remaining neutral during the invasion of Iraq.

An international delegation including Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, set up to investigate the political situation in Iraq, has cancelled its trip. Senator Nettle left Australia earlier today, but she will be intercepted when she reaches Bangkok to be told of the decision. Senator Nettle's spokesman Jon Edwards says the escalating violence has left organisers with no other choice. " The people whom Senator Nettle, together with international parliamentarians from around the world, was scheduled to meet will no longer be able to travel around Baghdad ," he said. " The NG Os (non-government organisations) themselves, who were organising these meetings, are now trying to leave Baghdad because of the grave security situation ."

So much her party's claim that it was the "occupying force" that was being targetted, not reconstruction agencies."

A British journalist has been released after being taken hostage in Iraq by two separate groups. Stephen Farrell, the correspondent for the Times newspaper, says he was threatened with death after being abducted near Fallujah. But he says he was freed when he managed to convince his captors that he was a genuine journalist. " The first group who sees this very clearly appeared to be outlaws, bandits, robbers, thieves, who claimed to be part of the resistance, the fighters against the Americans ," he said. " But half an hour later we ran into the people who called themselves the Mujahideen, clearly a very different group. Disciplined, organised, a chain of command and they took us away from our original captors, so we were abducted twice if you like ."

United States governor of Iraq Paul Bremer appointed a new Iraqi interior minister on Friday and appointed a Governing Council member to the new position of national security adviser. Mr Bremer said Samir Sumaidy, a Sunni Muslim political independent on the Governing Council, had been appointed interior minister, replacing Nouri Badran, a Shiite, who resigned on Thursday. Mr Bremer also said that Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, a Shiite independent on the Governing Council, would take on the newly created national security adviser role.

Thousands of Palestinians staged pro-Iraq rallies Friday to mark the first anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, calling on Iraqis to rise up against the United States in a holy war. Following Friday prayers, thousands of protesters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip burned Israeli and US flags and chanted slogans against US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In Gaza City, about 2,000 Islamic Jihad supporters, including children holding the militant group's black flags, chanted "Death to America," and burned effigies of Bush and Sharon. "Our message to the world, to our brothers in Iraq, we are fighting against the same enemies, the same occupation, we are fighting in the same battle," Mohammed al-Hindi, an Islamic Jihad leader, told reporters. "Our people in Palestine and our brothers in Iraq are slaughtered by the knife, the knife of Bush and Sharon."

An explosion echoed over north-east Baghdad on Friday and a plume of smoke rose from the area, but there was no immediate sign that it had been caused by a bomb, a Reuters witness said. Some residents suggested that a rocket-propelled grenade fired in the air had caused the blast, near the Um al-Qura mosque where worshippers were gathered for Friday prayers.

BBC and CNN reporters some time after the event stated that the city remained unconcerned about it."

Shiite Muslim militiamen have killed a British soldier after shooting down a drone over the southern Iraqi town of Amara, Iraqi police said on Friday. Warrant officer Mohammad Attiya Obeid, who witnessed the incident, said: "At 10:15pm (local time), rebels opened fire on a pilotless aircraft and shot it down over a public park in the Hay al-Hussein area of Amara." The rebels rushed to pick up pieces of the downed drone and took them as a trophy to the local headquarters of Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr, Mr Obeid told AFP. Shortly afterwards, a unit of about 20 British soldiers arrived on the scene of the crash and the rebels opened fire "killing one British soldier and wounding two others," the police officer said.

We tell you that three of your children have fallen prisoner in our hands and we give you two options - withdraw your forces from our country and go home or we will burn them alive and feed them to the fighters

Most Media reports merely state the hostages will be "killed". A minority report they will be "burned alive". But very few indeed report the threat of cannibalism."

Residents started to flee the besieged Iraqi city of Fallujah on Friday on the fifth day of ferocious street fighting between United States forces and Sunni Muslim insurgents in the western town, an AFP correspondent witnessed. Men, women and children were fleeing on foot through backstreets and paths that cut through fields, carrying small bags, food and medicines. Most were seen heading toward the nearby village of Naimiyah

Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat personally intervened on Friday to seek the release of two Palestinians kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq, his office said.

"President Arafat has contacted our brothers in Iraq and other international bodies and friends today to help in releasing the two kidnapped Palestinians, Nabil George Razouk and Ahmed Yassin Tikati, both held in Iraq," a statement said. According to a Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem, the United States is handling the case of the two Arab residents of East Jerusalem, who were kidnapped Thursday by a previously unknown group in Iraq.

U.N. Official Pushes to End Iraqi Violence: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on all parties in Iraq Thursday to intensify efforts to end an escalating crisis and protect civilians caught in fighting in the Sunni Triangle city of Fallujah and several other cities. (AP)"

Missile fault 'caused jet crash': "Faults in a hi-tech US missile system may have been responsible for the shooting down of an RAF Tornado aircraft with the loss of two crewmen during the Iraq war, it has been claimed."

Bush 'understood terror threat': "George Bush's national security adviser insisted that the US president fully understood the threat of terrorism before September 11, 2001, but no intelligence foretold the deadliest attack on American soil."

NOT a Ceasefire: "They are calling it a unilateral suspension of fighting. It is still in effect. The stoppage of fighting is to allow humanitarian aid into the city and, hopefully, to conduct negotiations with the Mahdi army in Fallujah."

Not Liking the Looks of Today: "As a very wise space traveler once (or maybe four times) said - I have a very bad feeling about this. Today is the anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The morning of April 9, 2003 : U.S. tanks rumbled up to the Palestine Hotel in central Baghdad on Wednesday, observed by the international media crews who have been based there.Anniversary dates are notoriously important to "militants" like the al Mahdi army. There was already an attack on a convoy today which killed nine Americans soldiers. There's word that a truck has been fired on. An attempt at negotiations are not working. One year ago, the statue of Saddam was pulled down . Zeyad at Healing Iraq is worried, and with good reason:

Everyone is apprehensive, there is some talk that April 9th and 10th are going to be bloody days. Most people haven't gone to work the last few days, although it seems that the rest of Baghdad is ?normal' (if you can define what normal is). There are rumours about preparations by slum dwellers for another looting spree against banks, governmental and public property similar to the one that took place last April, and I have already overheard youngsters in my neighbourhood joking about it and saying things like "This time we will be the first to loot, we didn't get anything the last time".

Today would be the day to keep your eyes and ears on Baghdad. Peace to the citizens of that city today."

Brief Stop to Fighting in Fallujah [Updated]: "The U.S called off its Fallujah offensive and tried to negotiate with a city representative. The negotiations fell through after only ninety minutes and there are now reports that the U.S. offensive will move on.

Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne , commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, said his forces were given the go-ahead to resume offensive operations. The halt was called at noon to allow a delegation from the city to meet with U.S. commanders, let humanitarian aid into the city and give city residents a chance to tend to their dead. Byrne did not know why the suspension was called off but believed the negotiations with the delegation never took place. It was not immediately known if offensive operations had actually resumed

Update : There are conflicting reports on whether the ceasefire is still in effect or not. Checking sources now."

US resumes Fallujah assault after brief stop: "Chaos spread in Iraq on the first anniversary of Saddam Hussein's ouster as US forces resumed their offensive in the besieged town of Fallujah after a brief suspension while insurgents seized foreign hostages as bargaining chips. (AFP)"

Al-Sadr denies link to Iraq kidnapping: "A senior aide to radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr denied on Friday that the religious leader's militia was involved in the kidnapping of three Japanese and threats to burn them alive."

U.S. Moves Against Iraq Militants: "On the first anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, fierce fighting continues on several fronts in Iraq. An effort to negotiate an end to hostilities in Fallujah failed. GIs regained control of Kut. Rebels are holding at least six foreign hostages."

Missile fault 'caused jet crash': "Faults in a hi-tech US missile system may have been responsible for the shooting down of an RAF Tornado aircraft with the loss of two crewmen during the Iraq war, it has been claimed."

Iraq War NewsRioting Across Iraq Kills More Than 60: "The top U.S. administrator in Iraq declared a radical Shiite cleric an "outlaw" Monday after his supporters rioted in Baghdad and four other cities in fighting that killed at least 52 Iraqis, eight U.S. troops and a Salvadoran soldier. (AP)"

Iraq's Yacoubi Charged with Conspiracy to Murder: "A prominent Shi'ite, whose arrest byU.S.-led coalition forces stoked violent protests across Iraq,is in Iraqi custody and will be tried for complicity in themurder of a top cleric last year. (Reuters)"

Four more US troops killed in Iraq attacks: "Four US troops were killed in the past 24 hours in combat in Iraq, including one Marine and a soldier who died Monday in separate attacks, raising to 11 the number killed since Sunday, the US military said. (AFP)"

8 GIs Die In Iraq Riots: "Violence erupted in several cities, the most deadly in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, where seven soldiers and at least 30 Iraqis were killed. In Fallujah, U.S. soldiers prepared to launch a major operation following last week's violence."

al-Sadr's right hand man has asked the Australian troops to withdraw from Iraq, saying "The Saddam regime is gone and we know how to control our country." Reports are that he said that with a straight face.

A Marine near Baghdad today, and a U.S. soldier was killed in Kirkus by a car bomb [Source: EuroNews(TV)]

"Peaceful" Shiite protesters have taken over a government office in Basra. U.S. troops are currently negotiationg with them.

Contrary to rumors, the Marines will not be destroying all of Fallujah in revenge for the deaths of four American civilian employees. "Our concern is precise. We want to get the guys we are after . We don't want to go in there with guns blazing," said Lt. James Vanzant, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

Marines Surround Fallujah: "Marines have surrounded Fallujah in preparation for Operation "Vigilant Resolve," which will be an attempt to bring peace to the city. 1200 Marines plus Iraqi security forces are ready to enter the city to conduct raids aimed at capturing insurgents. CNN reports that the initial stages of the operation have already begun:

Witnesses in Haye Al-Jolan, an area in the northern section of Fallujah, said five Iraqis were killed and 15 wounded in a firefight that began when Marines raided homes there. Ten homes were said to have been destroyed in the battle. In another area, U.S. Marines fired on two vehicles - a truck and a car - approaching a Fallujah checkpoint Monday morning, killing two Iraqis, sources said.

Marines announce major offensive in Fallujah: "US Marines said they had launched an offensive in the Iraqi hotbed town of Fallujah where four US contractors were killed last week and two of them savagely mutilated. (AFP)"

7 U.S. Troops Killed as Shiite Anger Erupts: "NAJAF, Iraq -Thousands of followers of a virulently anti-American Shiite cleric heeded his calls for an uprising against the U.S. occupation, storming police stations and government buildings in several major cities Sunday and triggering clashes that left at least eight coalition soldiers and 21 Iraqis dead. (Los Angeles Times)"

U.S. Helicopters Attack Targets in Baghdad: "Fresh fighting between U.S.forces and Shi'ite militiamen erupted in a Baghdad neighborhoodMonday, with two Apache helicopters firing on targets in thearea, Reuters journalists at the scene said. (Reuters)"

Rioting Across Iraq Kills Nearly 60: "Supporters of an anti-American Shiite Muslim cleric rioted in Baghdad and four other Iraqi cities, sparking fighting that killed at least 50 Iraqis, eight U.S. troops and a Salvadoran soldier, in the worst unrest since the spasm of looting and arson immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein. (AP)"

U.S. Forces Seal Off Fallujah: "U.S. forces closed off the turbulent city of Fallujah on Monday ahead of a major operation against insurgents following the grisly slayings of four American security contractors last week. (AP)"

Student wins settlement after being suspended for t-shirt: " Student Natalie Young, who was suspended in 2002 for wearing a t-shirt saying "Barbie is a Lesbian" to school, will receive $30,000 from a settlement with her school. Natalie, who was in middle school at the time, was pulled out of class and asked to change her shirt. When she refused, she was suspended for the day, despite the absence of a dress code or other clear grounds. Attorney Ron Kurby filed the suit in the federal court..."

"We're coming with a mighty force to end the reign of your
oppressors," Bush said, addressing Iraqis who might be
listening from afar. "We are coming to bring you food and
medicine and a better life. And we are coming and we will
not stop, we will not relent until your country is free."
We are very proud of you,Keep your helmet on!

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